International panel discusses future of chemical engineering

Thirty top UK chemical engineers met with invited guests from the US, Germany and Denmark last month to discuss the challenges facing the discipline.

The Facing the Future workshop took place in Manchester and comprised of senior figures from industry and academia, along with John Perkins, IChemE past president and recently appointed chief scientific advisor to the UK Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and Kedar Pandya, engineering theme leader for the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

Sir William Wakeham, IChemE president gave the opening address on the forces shaping UK chemical engineering, including the government’s austerity measures, weak economic growth, and instability in the Middle East.

Wakeham also evaluated the current status of chemical engineering in relation to other disciplines and stressed the need for positive engagement and versatility in the face of the linked challenges of securing sustainable supplies of energy, water and food against a backdrop of population growth and accelerating global warming.

Attendees agreed that chemical engineers will remain in demand, and the quality of UK research was widely praised. University curricula will need careful balancing to ensure core chemical engineering skills are still taught, while allowing the inclusion of cutting-edge bioscience and materials research.

Wakeham concluded that chemical engineering in the UK will maintain its identity and will continue to meet industry and academic needs saying:“We have the committed support of the academic community, which will work with IChemE and EPSRC to initiate new networks that will develop team-working and leadership. We will enhance our contribution to the UK’s research agenda, whilst at the same time maintaining our recognised standards of excellence in the graduate output."

Click here to download the full report PDF.